Hydraulic air-compressor.



N. 662,884 Patented Nov. 27, i900.

" F. C. STARKE.v

HYDRAULIC AIB COMPRESSOR.

(Application led July 3Q, 1900.)

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FRED C. STARKE, OF MILWAUKEE, 'WISCONSILL ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO CLAUDE L. FRANKLYN AND JOI-IN K. RUSSELL, OF SAME PLACE.

HYDRAULIC AIRWCOMPRESSOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,884, dated November 27, 1900.

Application iiled July 30, 1900. o'erial No. 25,234. @lo model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED C. STARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Air-Compressors, of which the following is a specifica tion, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to apparatus in which air is entrained and compressed by a confined falling body of Water and separated from the water while it is under pressure.

The main object of the invention is to more effectively or completely separate the compressed air from the Water, and thereby make apparatus for this purpose more efficient and economical, and generally toimprove the construction and operation of apparatus of this class.

It consists in certain novel features in the construction and arrangement of component parts of the apparatus, and particularly of those parts by which the separation of the air from the water is effected, as hereinafter pan ticularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same parts in the several iigures.

Figure lis a vertical section 0f a hydraulic air-coin pressing apparatus embodying inyimprovernents. Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line 2 2, Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3, Fig. l.

Ais a vertically-disposed pipe forming a descending conduit for water. It may be conveniently constructed of boiler-plate or sheet metal, but may be made of wood or other suitable material. It is bent horizontally at its upper end and has an intake-opening coinmunicating-With a dam or head-race B orother Watensupply, the level of which is always above said opening. At its lower end it is bent horizontally and has alaterally-directed and horizontally-extended discharge-opening.

C is a chamber into one side of which the lower end of the pipe A projects. Itis preferably made of circular form in cross-sec tion, as shown in Fig. 3, and has a conicaltop,

as shown in Fig. l. It is preferably constructed of boiler-plate or sheet metal and has a discharge-opening` or series of openings c c extending all around the bottom.

When the natural fall of water is insufficient to afford a column of the required height to produce the desired pressure, a well is sunk for the pipe A and the separatingchamber C at its lower end. In this case the Well may be walled up with timber and boards or plank to form an ascending waterconduit D, with which the outlet at the b0t tom of the chamber C communicates. At its upper end this well or conduit opens into a tail-race E, which is below the head-race B or other water-supply. The depth of the well or the height of the ascending water-conduit D determines the extent or degree to which the air can be compressed in the apparatus. Where the natural fall issuffieient to afford a Water column of the required height Without sinking a well, the ascending conduit may be vbuilt up of any suitable material to the required height, either around or at one side of the descending conduit or pipe A.

F is a spreading-table supported horizon-` tally in the chamber C above the outlet at the bottom thereof. It is preferably made circular or of a shape corresponding with that of said chamber, in which it is inclosed, and it is formed or provided with an upturned rim f and with a perforated bottom, which allows a part of the water discharged thereon to pass directly through it to the outlet at the` bottom of the separating-chamber. A space is left between the edge or rim of the table and the walls of the chamber, this space being narrower or smaller on that side toward which the water is discharged from the pipe A and increasing in area toward the opposite side, so as to check and partially reverse the iow of water and allow the air to more readily and coinpletelyseparate therefrom.

G Gare air-inlet pipes leading from a point above the level of the Water-supply through and into the pipe A in or near the upper bend thereof and terminating therein below the level of the Water-supply.

H is an air-delivery pipe leading out of the apex or upper part of the chamber C and provided with an automatic regulating-valve I IOO for maintaining a back pressure of air and preventing the water from filling the upper part of the chamber C and rising in said pipe. J is a blow-off pipe extending from a point within said chamber at or near the level at which it is desired to maintain the waterlevel therein. It is provided with a Valve K and is preferably bent at its upper end to terminate and discharge below the surface of the water in the conduit D or tail-race E in order to prevent the disagreeable noise which would be produced by the discharge from said pipe into the open air.

My improved apparatus operates as follows: Water being supplied to the head-race B and kept at a level therein above the intakebpening of the pipe A Aflows through said pipe and is discharged therefrom at its lower end upon the spreading-table F. The rapid fallof the water through the pipe A tends to produce a vacuum at the lower ends of the air-inlet pipes G, and thereby air is drawn through said pipes into and eutrained with the water in its descent through the pipe A. The air thus entrained with the water is subjected to the pressure of the water column in the well or ascending conduit D, such pressure increasing as the air approaches the lower end of the pipe A. Upon its discharge from the lower end of the pipe A the water spreads out over the table F and its ow is checked. The entrained air thus allowed to separate from the water is caught and held in the upper. part of the chamber C under a pressure equal to the weight of the water column in the well or ascending conduit D. The water from which the air has thus separated flows in part through the openings in the table Fand over the rim of said table between it and the walls of chamber C into the lower part of said chamber, thence through the outlet-openings c at the bottom of said chamber into the well or ascending conduit D, in which it rises, flowing off from the upper part thereof through the tail-race E. The regulatingvalve I is set to maintain sufficient back pressure in the delivery-pipe I-I to prevent the water from rising and filling the upper part of the chamber C and iiowing into said pipe when the compressed air is used as fast as it is produced. In case the compressed air is not used as fast as it is produced, the valve K being open, the excess will be discharged through the blowoff pipe J, when the water-level in the chamber O descends nearly to the lower end of said pipe.

Various changes in the minor details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the spirit and intended scope of my invention.

l. In a hydraulic air-compressor the combination of a compressed-air chamber, an ascending water-conduit into which said chamber opens at the bottom, a spreading-table in said chamber above the outlet-openin g at the bottom thereof, a descending conduit having a water-intake opening and air-inlet at the upper end and a lateral outlet-opening at its lower end which projects into one side of said chamber over said table and is directed across said table toward the opposite side of said chamber and an air-delivery pipe leading out of the upper part of said chamber, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a hydraulic air-compressor the combination of an ascending water-conduit, a chamber opening at or near the bottom into the lower part of said conduit, an air-delivery pipe leading` out of the upper part of said chamber, a horizontally-disposed waterspreading table liuclosed in said chamber above the outlet-opening from the bottom thereof and having an upturned rim, a descending conduit or pipe having a water-intake opening above the upper outlet end of the ascending conduit, and a laterally-directed discharge-opening at its lower end which projects at one side of said chamber over said table and air-inlets leading from a point above the level of the Watersupply into the upper end of the descending conduit below the level of the water-supply, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a hydraulic air-compressor the combination of a descending water conduit or pipe having a water-intake opening and airinlets at the upper end and alaterally-directed and horizontally-extended discharge-opening at the lower end, an air-separating chamber into one side of which the lower end of said conduit or pipe projects and opens, an ascending water-conduit leading out of the lower part of said chamber and having a discharge-opeuing below the water-intake opening at the upper end of the descending couduit, a horizontally-disposed spreading-table located in said chamber between its outlet and the discharge-opening of the descending conduit, and an air-delivery pipe leading out of the upper part of said chamber, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

et. In a hydraulic air-compressor the combination of a separating-chamber, an ascending water-conduit with which said chamber communicates at the bottom, a perforated spreading-table arranged horizontally in said chamber above its outlet, a space being left all around between it and the walls of said chamber, a descending water conduit or pipe extending above the ascending conduit and having at its upper end a water-intake and air-inlet and at its lower end, which projects into said chamber, a lateral discharge-opening directed across said table toward the opg posite side of said chamber, and an air-delivery pipe leading out of the upper part of said chamber, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a hydraulic air-compressor the combination of a separatingchamber, an ascending water-conduit with which said chamber communicates at the bottom, a descending water-conduit having at its upper end a Wa- IOC IIO

ter-intake and air-inlet and at its lower end, which projects into one side of said chamber, a laterally-directed dischargeppening, a water-spreading table arranged horizontally in said chamber directly below the dischargeopening of said descending conduit, a space being left all around said table and the walls of said chamber and said space being narrower on the side of said table toward which the water is discharged from the descending conduit` and increasing in area toward the other side, and an air-delivery pipe leading out of said chamber, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a hydraulic air-compressor the com bination of a separating-chamber, an ascending water-conduit with which said chamber communicates at the bottom, a spreading-table arranged horizontally in said chamber above the bottom, a descending water-pipe bent horizontally and terminating in an intake-opening at its upper end and projecting into said chamber and having a lateral discharge-opening over said spreading-table at its lower end, air-inlet pipes leading through the walloi' said descending pipe at or near the bend or elbow at its upper end from a point above to a point below the level of the water-supply, and an air-delivery pipe leading out of t-he upper part of said chamber, substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

7. In a hydraulic air-compressor the combination of4 a separating-chamber having a conical top and an outlet around the bottom, an ascending water-conduit into which said outlet opens, an air-delivery pipe leading out of the apex of said chamber, a spreading-table within said chamber above the outlet at the bottom thereof and a descending pipe having a Water-intake and air-inlet at its upper end and a lateral discharge-opening at its lower end which projects at one side of said chamber over said table, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In Witness whereof l hereto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED C. STARKE. Witnesses:

CHAS. L. Goss, M. L. EMERY. 

